Athena Review Image Archive ™

Alèsia: Plan of Late Iron Age oppidum and
Roman siegeworks

In
52
BC, the seventh year of the Gallic Wars, native discontent
crystalized
under the military leader Vercingetorix. After several months of
battles,
the Gauls retreated for a final stand at the oppidum or stronghold of
Alèsia, on Mont Auxois near Dijon. After a long seige engineered
by
Caesar, the Gallic resistance was finally broken. Fig.1 shows the Roman
siegeworks, an inner series of trenches and walls called
contravallation, which prevented the Gauls from escaping; and
the
outer ring or circumvallation, which sealed out any potential
Gallic
relief forces.

The Gallic oppidum at Alèsia comprised a town of 97 hectares
containing
wooden houses. After the Roman conquest, the town was rebuilt with a
basilica,
theater, and artisans quarters including a bronzeworkers guild. Among
the
range of houses were a mansion with hypocaust and a private bathhouse.
Among
Gallo-Roman temples were a shrine to the goddess of horses Epona and
the
Mother Goddess. Later, the town of Alèsia held a Merovingian
basilica,
then a Medieval convent and shrine which became famous for its mystery
plays.
Mid-19th century archaeologists included the French Emperor Napoleon
III,
who drew accurate plans of the Roman siegeworks.